Pubdate: Thu, 26 Jun 2014
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Page: A18

SNUFFED OUT

House Republicans Decide They Know Better Than D.C. About Marijuana 
Enforcement.

IN APPROVING a measure that aims to stop the District from 
decriminalizing marijuana, House Republicans ignored the fact that an 
increasing number of states have taken a similar step and that two 
have gone so far as to legalize the drug. They seem to have forgotten 
that less than a month ago the House approved the first pro-marijuana 
bill in congressional history, voting to prohibit use of federal 
funds to stop medical marijuana in states that allow it. Most of all, 
they seem to have forgotten that Republicans are supposed to be the 
folks who abhor federal interference in local affairs.

The only thing that seemed to matter to House Republicans as they 
trampled on the District's home rule is that they could. As Rep. Andy 
Harris (R-Md.) baldly put it: "Whether or not we should do it, we can 
debate it, but we have the jurisdiction to do it."

Mr. Harris was the instigator of an amendment approved Wednesday by 
the Appropriations Committee that blocks funding for a new city law 
eliminating criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of 
marijuana. The bill, passed by the D.C. Council, was signed by Mayor 
Vincent C. Gray (D) in March and is in the middle of a mandatory 
60-day congressional review period.

We've been skeptical about outright legalization of marijuana, but we 
think the District was right to decriminalize it, which calls for 
ticketing minor offenders. It's a compromise that discourages drug 
use but tries to mitigate the racial injustices and wrecked lives 
that have resulted from imprisoning marijuana users. The District is 
hardly alone in this choice: A third of the states have eliminated 
criminal penalties. One is Mr. Harris's home state, an irony that 
doesn't seem to have registered. "It is particularly offensive that 
he is trying to impose on another member's district what he was 
unable to do democratically in his own," said Del. Eleanor Holmes 
Norton (D-D.C.).

As Ms. Norton pointed out, Mr. Harris is following in the footsteps 
of countless politicians who have used the District as a pawn to 
raise their national profiles or burnish their conservative bona 
fides. Interfering in the District's local affairs allows Mr. Harris 
to say he's tough on drugs, never mind the consequences.

Let's hope empty bragging rights are all that result. By defunding 
decriminalization without removing it from the books, the measure 
could effectively legalize pot, since the District couldn't spend any 
funds on enforcement. If the full House doesn't make short work of 
this misguided measure, the Senate or White House should make clear 
that the local affairs of D.C. residents are best left to their 
locally elected officials.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom